Inspired by a family trip to Africa (and a photo taken by my brother-in-law), "Gathering at the Watering Hole" captures the profound awe we felt watching the succession of animals converging at the water.  Evenings and early mornings by these water sources were a spectacle, a constant flow and procession of animals coming to take their place. 

In this scene, the sheer scale of the elephants was what I wanted to capture. Their immense forms, combined with their gentle-giant demeanour, created a striking contrast against the more delicate, patterned zebras.  The zebras, appearing almost miniature beside the towering elephants, highlighted the hierarchy and diversity of the savannah. We were awed by the sheer numbers of animals at the water. 

In the studio, I aimed to recreate the feeling of that African experience. I began by defining the composition, placing the main boundaries and relationships of the animals onto the canvas using the artist's envelope method in charcoal. This sketching technique allowed the scene to emerge more organically than had I used the grid method. Next, I laid down a burnt umber underpainting, establishing the foundational shapes, values and brushstrokes. This set the stage for the coloured paints to come.

I don’t often use a palette knife when I’m painting, but on the advice of my amazing art teacher Liza Visagie, I used one here. This tool was helpful for creating the texture of the elephants’ wrinkled skin. Although painted over a number of days, I primarily used the alla prima painting method for each section, applying wet paint directly into wet paint to express spontaneity and freshness. Their forms, alongside the strikingly striped zebras, tell a story of the raw beauty of nature's gathering.